Jazz — All Formats  

A beautifully sensitive album from Donald Byrd – quite a change from his better-known jazz funk work of the 70s and early 80s – and part of a back-to-basics move he made in part of that latter decade! The album's very much in the best straight mode of the Landmark Records label scene of the time – Byrd blowing strong and soulfully in the company of a key combo that features Kenny Garrett on alto, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – all players who really bring a lot of fire to the record, and almost push Byrd back to his pre-electric 60s years on Blue Note. Mike Daugherty plays synth on two tracks – using the instrument in gentle, string-like ways – but overall the record is proudly acoustic at most moments. Titles include "Harlem Blues", "Fly Little Byrd", "Voyage A Deux", "Sir Master Kool Guy", and "Blue Monk".

A killer instrumental album of hard organ grooves and funky basslines! This was the album that broke Funk Inc out of their Indianapolis scene, and made them a force to be forever reckoned with in the history of funky jazz. The album grooves hard in the same sound as some of the classic work by Prestige jazz funk giants like Rusty Bryant, Charles Earland, or Ivan Boogaloo Jones – but it's almost even tighter than their work, because the Funk Inc combo as a tightly woven group of players who'd been together for a number of years. The record's filled with monster cuts that you'll recognize immediately, like the group's famous "Kool is Back", which has a monster sample on the intro, and hard heavy Kool & The Gang grooves throughout. Other tracks include "Sister Janie", "The Whipper", and "Bowlegs".

No hangin out here – because these guys are tighter than ever, and right on the money from the very first note of the set! A snapping drum break opens up the album – followed by a wickedly stepping bassline, a rolling conga part, and a vamping dance between Hammond and tenor sax – all to set the scene for a batch of grooves that's easily one of the finest ever from this Indy combo! The album's got a sharpness and tightness that balances beautifully between funky jazz and instrumental soul – a territory that's a bit like Kool & The Gang at times, but which has a much more jazz-based approach on the solos. The big cuts include "Smokin' At Tiffany's" and "Dirty Red" – and other tracks include a sweet cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love", plus "We Can Be Friends", "I Can See Clearly Now", and "I'll Be Around".

Not the disco promised in the title – but a sweet batch of funky tracks from Japanese reedman Jiro Inagaki – easily one of his hippest albums of the 70s! Rhythms are super-tight – very much in the best mid 70s space of Fatback Band or Kool & The Gang – and carried off with some occasional trippy touches in the production, of the sort you'd know from other Japanese albums of this nature. The tunes are mostly instrumentals – focused on the jazzy grooves we'd expect from Jiro – but they often feature a bit of chorus vocals – probably just the musicians shouting out with joy alongside their sweet lead lines. Titles include a great cover of Ripple's "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" – plus "Boogie Joe The Grinder", "Express", "Jungle Boogie", "Living For The City", "Outa Space", "Funky Stuff", and "Loose Booty". CD features the bonus track "Express", in a different mix.

One of the coolest albums ever from organist Milt Buckner – a set that not only features his own great work on Hammond, but also some excellent vibes from Gene Redd! This isn't the Redd that was a member of Kool & The Gang, but his pops – and Gene works with Buckner here on arrangements to craft a sound that's much hipper and more soulful than usual for Milt – quite a change from some of his dates for other labels, especially some of the overseas ones. The rest of the group features Bill Willis on bass and Phil Paul on drums – and tunes are awash in cool tones and unusual sounds – handled very differently than in other versions. The album includes nice versions of "Take Five", "Fly Me To The Moon", "All Blues", and "Why Don't You Do Right" – all with a lot more of a soul jazz groove than you'd expect!

A beautifully sensitive album from Donald Byrd – quite a change from his better-known jazz funk work of the 70s and early 80s – and part of a back-to-basics move he made in part of that latter decade! The album's very much in the best straight mode of the Landmark Records label scene of the time – Byrd blowing strong and soulfully in the company of a key combo that features Kenny Garrett on alto, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – all players who really bring a lot of fire to the record, and almost push Byrd back to his pre-electric 60s years on Blue Note. Mike Daugherty plays synth on two tracks – using the instrument in gentle, string-like ways – but overall the record is proudly acoustic at most moments. Titles include "Harlem Blues", "Fly Little Byrd", "Voyage A Deux", "Sir Master Kool Guy", and "Blue Monk".

Funky mid 70s Herbie – one his funkiest of the era! Herbie plays a host of kool keyboards (like Fender Rhodes, Arp, Hohner Clavinet, etc), and he's joined by a group that includes just about all of the Headhunters (Paul Jackson and Mike Clark in the rhythm section), as well as Wah Wah Watson, Stevie Wonder, Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, and Harvey Mason. In many ways, one of Herbie's more underrated albums, and worth it alone for the mad, uptempo "Hang Up Your Hang Ups". Other cuts include "Bubbles", "Heartbeat", and "Sun Touch".

A landmark album – and one of the best records you'll ever find by Mary Lou Williams! The record's a mixture of jazz and spiritual themes, and it features Mary Lou's piano set in some super-hip jazz arrangements that include players like Grant Green, Budd Johnson, Larry Gales, Melba Liston, Ben Tucker, and Percy Heath. The bass and piano work is amazing, and many tracks have a dark groove that's very subtle, but very compelling. About half the tunes feature hip choral vocalizing – in the mode of some of the Donald Byrd or Max Roach albums from the same time – mostly handled by the group of Howard Roberts. Includes the classic groover "A Grand Nite For Swinging", plus "A Fungus Amongus", "Anima Christi", "Miss DD", "The Devil", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "My Blue Heaven". Great stuff all around – and even better than we're describing it! CD adds some extra tracks to the original recdording, too – with titles that include "Koolbonga", "Forty Five Degree Angle", "Nicole", "Chunka Lunka", and "Praise The Lord".